Firsts
by Random.Is.Best
Summary: A collection of short glimpses into the early days of Molly and Arthur Weasley.  Comments are appreciated! :
1. The Sorting

Note: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

Molly Prewett took a deep breath and stepped through the wide doors of the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, clutching her wand tightly in her robes. Her eyes scanned the mass of first years around her, and she nestled further into the group she was in. Nerves overtook her as the Professor that led them in stood at the front of the group.

"First years, this way." She led them into the Great Hall and in front of all the staff and students.

Molly scurried along with the rest of the first years and took her place in front of everyone. Her stomach lurched as a boy she hadn't seen before caught her eye. He had bright red hair to match hers and his freckles looked like something had exploded on his face. She felt heat rise to her cheeks as he met her eyes, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. He was _cute_.

She jumped when her name was called. When had they had the time to get to P? She stumbled forward, glancing over at the ginger haired boy and longing to talk to him. _What was it that made him so appealing?_ She shook her head and lowered herself onto the stool. She closed her eyes when the hat touched her head, cringing when she felt it move as it pondered where to place her. Finally, when it called out that she was to be in Gryffindor, she let out a sigh of relief, passed the hat to Professor McGonagall, and collapsed onto the bench next to an older Gryffindor.

"Good to see you," the older male said, sticking his hand out to shake hers, which made her feel very awkward.

"Yeah, you too…" Her eyes were still on the boy upfront, and she was quite undeterred by his too-short, patchy robes and his tousled hair. She perked up when Professor McGonagall called his name. _Arthur Weasley_. It reminded her of the Muggle tale one of her off, old uncles had told her at one time about a king named Arthur. She wouldn't mind letting him be her Knight when they were older. She tried her name with his—_Molly Weasley_. It didn't sound half-bad, and she couldn't help but smile. She leaned in closer when the hat began its declaration.

"Gryffindor!"

Somehow, she had ended up on her feet as she clapped along with the rest of her house. She burned red when he wandered over and took the open place next to her.

"'ello. Glad that's over. Do you know when the feast starts? I'm starved."

Molly wanted to swoon. He wasn't even near his voice change yet, but already, his voice sounded like the perfect melody to her. She couldn't wait to hear what it would be like once he had grown up a bit. She fumbled to retrieve her words. "Um, soon, I presume. Since your name is a w, you should be pretty close to the end of the ceremony."

Arthur smiled and settled into his seat. "Good."

Molly hoped she wasn't staring, but it was hard not to. He was just so cute, and it wasn't every day you met a ginger that might like you back.

As soon as the food arrived, the boy dug into it like he hadn't had a proper meal in months. She couldn't help but imagine what it would be like when they were all grown up and she made him dinner after a hard day's work. Blushing furiously at the thought, she took the plate that had been offered to her and ate the rest of her meal in silence.


	2. Rendezvous in the Courtyard

Note: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

"Molly!" She could pick his voice out of a crowd any day, and she did just that as his voice rang out across the courtyard. He ran up to her, breathless, as he tried to adjust the hat that had fallen over his eyes, knocking his glasses askew. "Hello, Molly. I saw you and couldn't help but come talk to you. How has your day been so far?"

She blushed and stared down at the ground, rolling a pebble around beneath her shoe to keep her eyes from meeting his sparkling ones. She hoped that it wasn't painfully obvious that she had liked him since first year…and now they were fifth years. "It's been okay. I'm glad it's sunny today. It just makes me feel so…"

"So happy," Arthur finished with a smile and a nod. "It makes me happy too. Just something about it makes everything seem better, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…"

He cocked his head and gazed at her with a soft, caring expression. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, yes."

The smiling boy offered his arm to her. At her shocked surprise, he looped his arm around hers and pulled her closer, resting his hand on her trembling forearm. "Hey, what's wrong? It's okay, Molly. Come with me for a minute." She didn't even have a chance to respond before he pulled her off towards the gardens with a smile. He sighed contentedly as he strolled along beside her, gazing off into the skies and the trees. "Hey, Molly?"

"Yes?"

"If I asked nicely enough, would you consider this a date?"

Biting her lip, she nodded and tried to conceal the smile that was spreading on her face. She would definitely go on a date with Arthur Weasley and she wouldn't have to be asked twice. She willed herself to stop shaking when he smiled at her and led her off towards the gardens.

"So, Molly. I know we have known each other for a few years now, but I've been waiting for the perfect time to ask you out on a date. You're quite pretty, you know that, right? I'm quite fond of the fact that you're a fellow ginger."

She giggled and instantly felt herself relaxing. Arthur wasn't like the other guys out there, proud and conceited. He was easy to be around and made her feel comfortable, even if she did still blush under his gaze. His cheerful, glittery eyes and his spattering of freckles made him look completely gentle and at ease. She could definitely get used to seeing that face every day. "No, no one has ever told me that. No one looks at me like that. I'm not all skinny like a lot of the other girls…" She wished she had a time turner to completely erase that last sentence from his memory. Had she really just admitted to the guy she liked that she was a little rounder than normal? Humiliation washed over her as she expected him to look her up and down, decide she was right, and leave her there. Her gaze fell to the ground as she bit her lip.

"Well, that's good."

Her gaze snapped up to meet his. "What…?"

"That's good. I think you're gorgeous just how you are. Don't take this the wrong way, but I like a woman who can eat. I know I can eat and it's pretty embarrassing to be the one not eating like a rabbit when she is. I bet you're a good cook then, aren't you?"

Molly's humiliation evaporated in an instant, and she felt herself smiling. Even through that, he hadn't made her slip up awkward. He had found a way to turn the conversation so he still ended up being the sweet, charming boy. "People tell me that I am. I love it. I feel like I'm happiest when I'm in the kitchen, cooking away to present it to the family who has been working hard all day." She stopped when she realized that he was staring intently at her. "What…? Did I say something wrong…?"

"Molly Prewett…I think I just fell in love with you."


	3. Orange Chicken and Rice

Note: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

Molly felt strong arms wrap around her from behind, and she couldn't help but smile as she looked down at the fingers laced around her waist. The hands belonged to her favorite person in the world—Arthur Weasley, her boyfriend of a year now. She still couldn't believe someone so perfect and quirky could fall in love with her. Sure, he was a little…eccentric, but she loved that about him. It made him unique and interesting, not like any of the other guys at Hogwarts. The best thing about him that made him stand apart from them—he still hadn't kissed her. He had tried—once—but when she told him that she wanted to keep a good head on her shoulders and take it slow, he was gentlemanly enough to resist for her. Instead, he was the most romantic, thoughtful boyfriend she could ever dream to have. He didn't have much money, so their dates were often simple walks on the grounds, window-shopping at Hogsmeade, and other things like that. She didn't mind the simplicity though. She never considered herself to be a high maintenance girl, which Arthur seemed to like. He seemed to prefer when she made him a simple cup of tea and they talked over tea and sweets in hushed voices. One thing he always managed to do, though, was give her a single red rose on every date. Sure enough, one hand slid from around her waist, and when it returned, a rose stem was laced through his fingers.

"For you."

"Thank you, love. So what are our plans today?"

"Well, I thought maybe we could sneak down to the kitchens and you could cook something for me. The Hogwarts food is fantastic but…I sort of fell in love with your cooking over summer holiday…"

Molly laughed and ruffled the feathery red hair before her. "Did someone get a little spoiled?"

"Actually, someone got a lot spoiled. It just…doesn't compare!"

"It's because everything I make for you is made with love."

Arthur made a contented happy noise and nuzzled his face in her hair. He sighed happily after he took a deep breath, taking in her scent. "You always smell so good…you smell like…" he took another sniff to place the scent correctly. "A warm kitchen. You smell like you've been cooking something delicious all day. Something…sweet, yet savory…a perfect blend of something...well, perfect! Like pie! I love your pie…it's just so warm and sweet and baked to perfection…now I want pie…"

Molly laughed and pushed him away from her as a thoughtful look crossed his face. She ran her fingertips along his soft lips as they curved into a smile. "A pie might take awhile to make."

"Hmm…that could pose to be a problem…I could wait."

"You're not waiting around for a pie to bake! I'll make you…chicken and rice with…a sweet and tangy orange glaze."

Arthur looked like he had just died and passed onto paradise. "You can make that…"

"Of course I can, you silly boy!"

"Kitchens, now."

She giggled and tried to hold her robes up with her free hand to prevent from tripping on them as he seized her by the wrist and pulled her into the entrance hall, down the steps, and to the portrait of fruit. He dutifully tickled the pear to produce the doorknob, looking as if he had done this at least once or twice before. Once they were in, she smiled at the house-elves that milled around them, eager to assist them with whatever they needed. She listed off the ingredients she needed and waited patiently while they gathered them and led her to the stove. "Thank you!" The elves conjured up a table and two chairs for Arthur to sit at and watch while Molly bustled around the kitchen, preparing what smelled like it would be an amazing meal.

After awhile, she plated up the food and brought it to the table, smiling when she saw that Arthur was practically salivating from the smell alone. "Well…?"

"I am very much looking forward to eating this. If it's as good as it smells, I think this will have to be a repeat occurrence." As she watched him with bated breath, he cut a bite and stuck it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Moments later, he closed his eyes and made a happy noise. "Molly, this is perhaps the best meal I have ever eaten in my life."

"You really think so…?"

"I…" he trailed off, looking like a thought was weighing heavy on his mind. He took a deep breath to compose himself. "Molly…?"

"Yes?"

Without warning, he leaned across the table and pressed his lips against hers. She sat in shock for a moment until she realized what was happening and closed her eyes, moving her lips to match perfectly with his as if they were made for each other. He tasted perfectly sweet, and his lips were softer than she had even imagined. She slid her hand along his jaw and up into his hair, tangling her fingers in his soft ginger locks. He was an amazing kisser, better than she had ever dreamed of. He made her head spin, her heart race, and her hands shake. He was the man for her. She knew he had to be. No other man had made her feel this way. She could see a future with him, and from the way that he was kissing her back, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way.

When he pulled away from her, he smiled breathlessly at her and fixed his hair with a shaky hand. "Sorry…I just…couldn't resist. I know you said—"

"Arthur."

"Yes?"

"I loved it."

His smile grew until it lit up his entire face, making him even more beautiful than before. She knew that this was perfection, and things were headed in the right direction for Molly Prewett.


	4. The Garden

**Note: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters.**

**Another note: Thank you all soooooooo much for all of the comments and follows! I love them! They're really inspiring me to write. I was surprised to see so much response, but it makes me happy, so keep it coming (please? )! I've got plenty more scenes planned, so stay tuned! And also, if you have any requests, I'm open and willing to write it! Just PM me or leave it in the comments! Again, thanks everyone for commenting! **

"Molly. Psst. Molly. Molly Prewett. _Psst._ Mo—"

"I hear you, Arthur!" Molly exclaimed with a laugh, lying her quill down on the table next to her long parchment, her tidy writing in perfect lines across the page. That was one of the requirements that she loved about Hogwarts. When she used a quill like that, it made her feel like she was in the old days, writing out a perfectly scripted recipe. She pulled herself back into reality when Arthur's red head bobbed into her vision.

"Molly!"

She pushed him away from her precious parchment and laughed. "Yes! What is it! Shouldn't you be studying? We have our N.E.W.T.s very soon, and I don't know about you, but I'd like to do well. Don't you want a job with the Ministry? I thought you had to have good marks for that."

Arthur waved the comment away with his hand as if it was nothing. "Yes, I do plan on going into the Ministry, but I don't want to be an Auror or anything. I want to work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Something about them…just fascinates me. The way that they're able to function without magic…and it still works! I'd just love to tinker around with the things and—" he cut himself off when he saw the horrified look on Molly's face. "What is it?"

"Aren't you in the department that is supposed to _prevent_ people from doing just that?"

"What? No, I didn't say that. You must have misheard me. You're so silly, Molly. So, I wanted to talk to you about something. If you'd give me a moment of your time."

Molly rolled her eyes at her fellow ginger with a smile. There was that eccentric in him again…it definitely hadn't gone away over the last year. If anything, it had only gotten worse. Over the summer between sixth and seventh years, he had discovered his interest in anything muggle related, and he had been hooked ever since. Finding muggle things was like a drug to him. So far, he found that his favorite things to collect had been plugs and batteries; unfortunately for him, muggle technology didn't work in Hogwarts, so he had to leave his precious stash at home. She crossed her ankles and leaned forward on her table, gazing deeply passed his glasses into his shining eyes. "What is it you want to talk about, love?"

He suddenly looked hesitant and nervous as he dropped his gaze to his hands. He took a moment, looking like he was giving himself a quick pep talk before looking back up at her and smiling that classic Arthur smile that could make her melt. "Walk with me?"

"But my things…"

Without a word, he smiled and gathered her parchments, quill and ink, and books into her bag, making sure to blow on the parchment to make sure it was dry before rolling it up and stowing it away. He slung the bag over his shoulder and offered her his arm, which she promptly took. He led her all the way from Gryffindor tower to the grounds, where he pulled her to the spot where he had first asked her if they were on a date. That felt like so long ago, but in a way, it felt like only yesterday. Things felt so at ease with Arthur, things just seemed to blend into one perfect romance. He dropped her bag by the twisting vines and released her arm. She cocked her head when she saw his cheeks flush red, as if he had just run a long distance or was extremely nervous about something. Even his ears seemed to be turning red.

"Arthur?"

"Molly…" He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, turning to face her and taking his hands in his. "Molly Prewett…I know…things are getting bad out there. There's a war going on, but I think that gives people more of a reason to celebrate the small things in life that make them happy. I guess…what I'm trying to say is…Molly…you make me happy…I know…I'm not rich or fancy or anything…and I'm sure you could do a lot better…but I'm completely in love with you…and I want to spend my whole life with you. I know I can't give you much…but I can give you a happy life…and let you cook all you want…I just…can't live without you…"

Molly felt herself paling with each word that tumbled out of his mouth in an awkward, earnest way. Was Arthur really going with this where she thought he was going with it…? If he was…she could die a happy woman. "I can't live without you either, Arthur," she replied in a voice barely above a whisper.

A small smile slipped onto his face and he dropped down to one knee. "In that case…will you marry me, Molly?"

It felt like her world had exploded in happiness. Not only was she close to graduating, but the man of her dreams had just proposed to her. All felt right in the world to her, and she was living out this perfect moment. Her. Molly Prewett. This was how things were supposed to be in her perfect little world that she had always hoped for. Still feeling numb with happiness, she forced herself to nod instead of celebrate, causing him to exhale the nervous breath he had been holding.

"Good because I…got this for you." Her eyes widened. She knew that he didn't have much money, so she hadn't been expecting to get a ring or anything. But when he produced a box from his pocket, she almost wanted to beg him to keep it because she couldn't accept something so nice. And when he opened it, she knew that telling him to take it back would only break his heart. It looked like he had been saving up for a long time because the ring was _beautiful_. It wasn't overly fancy or gaudy—just simple silver with a small diamond heart—but it was the most beautiful ring she had seen in her life. He bit his lip as he looked up at her from the box. "It's not much, I know, but I've been…saving up for a couple years now…since I fell in love with you…I knew I wanted to marry you."

"Arthur, it's perfect. I wouldn't want anything else."

His brilliant smile made his eyes sparkle, lighting up his whole face. He pulled her into a tight hug and tipped her chin up to plant a kiss on her soft lips, holding her like he would never let her go.


End file.
